Washington, D.C. – Today the State Department released its supplemental review
of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. A year ago, President Obama responded to
strong public opposition by denying the original application and asking
State to revise its environmental review of the Keystone XL project. The new
review acknowledges the increased climate impacts of Canadian tar sands, but it
remains woefully inadequate in its consideration of the effects the
proposed pipeline would have on Americans’ climate, water, air and health.

In
response, Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, issued the
following statement:

"The Sierra Club is outraged by the State Department’s deeply
flawed analysis today and what can only be interpreted as lip service to one of
the greatest threats to our children’s future: climate disruption.

"We’re mystified as to how the State Department can acknowledge the
negative effects of the Earth’s dirtiest oil on our climate, but at the same
time claim that the proposed pipeline will ‘not likely result in significant
adverse environmental effects.’ Whether this failure was willful or accidental,
this report is nothing short of malpractice.

"President Obama said that he’s committed to fighting the climate crisis.
If that is true, he should throw the State Department’s report away and reject
the dirty and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline."